


I Just Wanna Dance With You

by Queerdinary, RedPandaPrincess



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Country & Western, F/F, Music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-15
Packaged: 2018-12-14 07:18:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11778162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queerdinary/pseuds/Queerdinary, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedPandaPrincess/pseuds/RedPandaPrincess
Summary: Old country music and dancing with our favorite pairing!





	1. Chapter 1

_**Hello Darlin. Nice to see ya. It’s been a long time, you’re just as lovely as you used to be…** _

Kathryn stopped short inside the doors to the Astrometrics Lab. For a moment, she wasn’t on Voyager, lost in the Delta Quadrant. For a moment, she was in the kitchen of an old farm house, the smell of ham coming from the old oven, listening to her grandpa sing to her grandma after coming in from the fields.

She opened her eyes and saw Seven of Nine standing at her workstation. Tom Paris was leaning against the console and Harry Kim was standing in front of the viewscreen, in front of a picture of an old man.

“Conway Twitty,” Kathryn said wondrously. All three crewman turned to look at her.

“Captain,” Tom greeted. “Seven wanted us to show her some music.”

“I apologize for fraternizing while on duty, Captain,” Seven said, hands behind her back in her customary at-attention stance.

“Seven, please. You put in more hours than anyone on board except maybe myself. I’m glad you’re expressing an interest in music. How did you land on Conway Twitty?” she asked curiously.

“There is more music in the database from the late 1900s than any other era. Lt. Paris introduced me to The Beatles, John Lennon, Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, Aerosmith, Kiss…”

“We moved on to country so she’d have a well rounded musical education,” Harry added. “Conway Twitty was on the list.”

“I find the low pitch of his voice to be especially pleasing,” Seven said, turning back to the console. She pulled up a list of song titles.

“My PaPa Charlie used to sing Conway Twitty songs to my MaMa Janeway,” Kathryn said fondly. “Hello Darlin…Lay You Down…Oh and Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man! They used the sing that together!”

Seven clicked on the song and the upbeat music filled the room. Kathryn sang along until she noticed them all watching her. She fought a blush and laughed awkwardly.

“Who else is on your list?” she asked curiously.

“Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, George Jones…”

“That’s Loretta singing Mississippi Woman with Conway if I’m not mistaken.”

Seven checked the song information and nodded briefly.

“You are correct,” she said.

“What about George Strait? Is he on your list?” Kathryn asked curiously, coming to stand beside Seven.

“He is not on the list but I can search the database,” Seven said obediently and began to do so.

“Hey Harry, I just had a great idea,” Tom said, clapping his friend on the back. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“What is it?” Harry asked.

“Come on, let’s go to the Holodeck and I’ll tell you. See you later, Captain. Seven.”

“Thank you for your assistance,” Seven said to them.

“This better not be a ploy to get me to spend my Holodeck hours on Captain Proton again,” Harry warned Tom as they left.

“No of course not. Listen, Harry-“

The doors shut behind them, leaving Kathryn and Seven alone in the lab.

“Why don’t we go to my quarters and have a cup of coffee while we listen to some more music?” Kathryn suggested. “It will be much more comfortable.”

“Did you require my assistance with something else, Captain? You came to the Astrometrics Lab to look for me.”

“I was coming to see if you’d like to play Velocity, but this seems like fun. It’s been ages since I listened to country music.”

“I have half an hour left on my duty shift.”

“As your Captain I officially give you permission to clock out early,” she said with a grin. “Come on , Seven.”

“Very well,” Seven said, logging off her workstation.

They entered the captain’s quarters together. Kathryn kicked off her boots and left them by the door.

“Please, have a seat,” she told Seven, approaching the replicator. “Coffee?”

“Coffee is acceptable,” Seven said, sitting down on the couch.

“Cream and sugar?”

“However you drink it, Captain.”

Wondering if Seven had actually tried coffee before, she replicated two cups of black coffee and carried them to the couch. She handed Seven a mug and placed her own on the table. She shed her outer tunic and draped it across the arm of the couch before sitting down with a comfortable sigh.

“Computer, play George Strait audio, random track,” she said, picking up her coffee.

Music began to play then Kathryn heard the beginnings of a song her PaPa Charlie had had on a record.

_**She looked so much like a lady, but she was so much like a child.** _

She caught Seven’s eye and smiled before sipping her coffee. When the chorus played she glanced at Seven stealthily from behind her cup. The gorgeous blonde was holding her mug, swaying slightly to the music.

 _Baby blues indeed,_ Kathryn thought fondly. When Seven lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip of coffee, Kathryn saw the slightest grimace cross her lovely features. She bit back a smile.

“You’ve never tried coffee before, have you?” she asked wryly.

“No,” Seven admitted, placing the mug on the table. “How can you drink that?”

“I thought taste was irrelevant?” she teased lightly.

“I was wrong. It tastes like…like my mouth is dry,” she said, frowning.

Kathryn laughed at that and stood up.

“I’ll fix you something else,” she said, taking her own almost empty cup to the replicator.

“Water will be sufficient,” Seven said as Kathryn drained the last of her cup.

“Let me try once more,” Kathryn said and programmed a cup of weaker coffee with lots of sugar and a vanilla creamer.

“Taste this,” she encouraged, bringing the cup back to Seven.

Seven accepted the cup and took a hesitant sip. Her eyes lit up as she swallowed.

“Mm!” she said and Kathryn chuckled. She sat back on the couch, picking up Seven’s abandoned black coffee.

“This is much better, Captain. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. That’s how my sister Phoebe drinks coffee – with so much sugar it’s practically syrup,” she laughed.

The corners of Seven’s mouth twitched – as close as the Borg woman came to a smile – and she sipped her coffee.

“Are my eyes ‘baby blue’, Captain?” she asked as the song ended and another began.

“Definitely,” Kathryn answered.

“What about yours?”

“My eyes? Well sometimes they look blue, sometimes green. Mostly gray. They don’t write songs about gray eyes.”

“They should,” Seven declared and sipped her coffee. “I would like to hear more Conway Twitty.”

“Computer, play Conway Tiwtty…Blue eyes…oh what was it?”

“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” Seven provided. “I saw it on the track listing in Astrometrics.”

Kathryn nodded as the song began to play. She’d forgotten how sad a song it was.

“A lot of songs seem to be centered around the subject of eye color,” Seven commented. “Earlier I heard the Eagles sing Brown Eyed Girl.”

“Eyes can be a person’s most prominent feature. There’s an old saying, the eyes are the window to the soul. You can tell a lot about what a person is thinking or feeling by their eyes.”

“Yes,” Seven said in agreement. “I have noticed your eyes when you are angry, they are darker…like the sky planetside before a plasma storm.”

Kathryn looked at her in surprise.

“Impressive simile, Seven.”

“I have been working on improving my verbal communication skills. Studying poetry and music to improve my speech. Do you approve?”

“Whole heartedly. You’re doing a wonderful job.”

“Thank you Captain. Are you happy right now?” she asked out of the blue.

“Hm? Well…yes, I am,” she answered.

_Cup of coffee, good music, beautiful woman…who wouldn’t be happy?_

“I can tell. Your eyes are a blue-gray…the color of the ocean at dawn on Abkjet Beta – a planet nearly 20,000 lightyears away. You have not seen it, but that is the exact color,” she said earnestly.

“I’ll take your word for it,” she replied with a smile.

“Computer, play Hello Darlin,” Seven said, the corners of her mouth twitching again. “Captain, will you sing?”

“What?” Kathryn laughed, shaking her head.

“I enjoyed hearing you sing earlier, as brief as it was. I believe your voice blends well with the music. Please?” Seven asked in an almost shy voice.

_Who could say no to that?_

“ _How’s your new love? Are you happy?”_ Kathryn joined in the song. “ _Hope you’re doin fine…”_

Seven joined in softly after a moment, her clear alto lending a different quality to the tune. It reminded Kathryn of MaMa Janeway.

When the song ended Kathryn had tears in her eyes. She tried to blink them away and downed the last of her coffee. She stood and walked over to the replicator, hoping Seven wouldn’t comment on her display of emotion.

She ordered another cup of coffee and told the computer to play another random track. This one she didn’t recognize. They listened to it together sitting on the couch and Seven looked briefly amused at the last verse.

_**Lovin from seven til ten.** _

“Your blue eyes _and_ your name – Conway must have been writing about you,” Kathryn teased.

“Perhaps a temporal anamoly takes me back to the 1970s,” Seven said stoically but her eyes sparkled. Kathryn laughed at her joke and Seven’s mouth formed a small, pleased smile.

Another song began to play, one that Kathryn recognized. Without prompting she began to sing.

“ _There’s a lot of ways of sayin what I want to say to you…”_

Seven listened, then joined in the last verse.

“ _When a whole lot of Decembers are showin in your face,_

_Your auburn hair has faded and silver takes it’s place_

_You’ll be just as lovely and I’ll still be around_

_And if I can I know that I’d still love to lay you down.”_

Seven gazed directly at her as she sang. Kathryn felt her face grow warm under Seven’s intense look. They sang the end of the song together, then she cleared her throat and stood.

“I should get ready for bed soon,” she said and Seven stood as well.

“Thank you for a lovely evening, Captain.”

“Thank _you_ Seven. I haven’t heard these old songs in ages. I appreciate you letting me listen with you.”

“Goodnight Captain,” Seven said with her little smile.

“Goodnight Seven.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning when Kathryn got to her Ready Room, she had two messages waiting on her computer. One was from Tom, requesting permission to host a party on the Holodeck. Kathryn approved the request – it wasn’t the first time her helmsman had created a Holodeck program. He had a natural talent for it, just as he did flying.

The next was a message from Seven.

Captain,

You were mistaken.

-Seven of Nine

There was an audio file attached to the message. Curious, Kathryn opened the file. A funky tune began to play.

_**You’re just a little girl with gray eyes, say something, wait until the crowd cries…** _

“Computer, identify audio file,” Kathryn said, amused.

“Song title What in the World, artist David Bowie, year released-“

“Display lyrics,” she said and read along as the song continued to play.

_**You're just a little girl with grey eyes** _ _**  
** _ _**Never mind, say something** _ _**  
** _ _**Wait until the crowd cries** _ _**  
** _ _**Oh, wait until the crowd cries** _ _**  
** _ _**You're just a little girl with grey eyes** _ _**  
  
** _ _**So deep in your room,** _ _**  
** _ _**You never leave your room** _ _**  
** _ _**Something deep inside of me** _ _**  
** _ _**Yearning deep inside of me** _ _**  
** _ _**Talking through the gloom** _ _**  
** _ _**What in the world can you do** _ _**  
** _ _**What in the world can you do** _ _**  
** _ _**I'm in the mood for your love** _ _**  
** _ _**For your love** _ _**  
** _ _**For your love** _ _**  
  
** _ _**I'm just a little bit afraid of you** _ _**  
** _ _**Cause love won't make you cry** _ _**  
** _ _**But, wait** _ _**  
** _ _**until the crowd goes** _ _**  
** _ _**Oh, wait** _ _**  
** _ _**until the crowd goes** _ _**  
** _ _**I'm just a little bit afraid of you** _ _**  
  
** _ _**So deep in your room,** _ _**  
** _ _**You never leave your room** _ _**  
** _ _**Something deep inside of me** _ _**  
** _ _**Yearning deep inside of me** _ _**  
** _ _**Talking through the gloom** _ _**  
** _ _**What in the world can I do** _ _**  
** _ _**What in the world can I do** _ _**  
** _ _**I'm in the mood for your love** _ _**  
** _ _**For your love** _ _**  
** _ _**For your love** _ _**  
  
** _ _**Oh, what you gonna say?** _ _**  
** _ _**Oh, what you gonna do?** _ _**  
** _ _**Ah, what you gonna be?** _ _**  
** _ _**To the real me** _ _**  
** _ __**to the real me**   
  


The song ended and Kathryn sat at her desk, hands steepled before her. Surely she was reading too much into the lyrics? _I’m in the mood for your love. No… She just found a song about gray eyes, that’s all. But last night…they way she looked at me when she sang…_

_No, Katie. It was your imagination. Too many years alone… Seven is your friend and you don’t have many friends. Don’t screw it up!_

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Queerdinary and I have been collaborating.  
> Surprisingly pleased at all of the positive response to this one. Guess I'm not the only one with a soft spot for old music!
> 
> btw my grandpa really did used to sing Conway Twitty to my grandma after working on the farm, so that part of the story rings true to my own life.

A few days later Kathryn entered the Holodeck to see Tom Paris’ newest creation. She gasped when she entered, thinking for a split second that she was on Earth. A large barn with a slightly rundown appearance was the main feature of the program. It was surrounded by a seemingly endless field of corn. Country music was playing and members of her crew were there dancing, laughing as most of them had never learned to dance like this.

“You can’t waltz to Kenny Rogers, Mr. Paris,” she commented, spying him and B’elanna near the door.

“We were just being silly, Captain. What do you think?” he asked as they walked over to her.

“It looks like…like an old fashioned shindig,” she said with a grin. She didn’t want to let on just how much it reminded her of home or how painful it really was.

“A shindig?” B’elanna repeated.

“Yeah, a hootenanny, as my grandpa would say,” she chuckled.

“Hootenanny, I like that,” Tom laughed.

“They mean the same thing – a barn dance,” she said brightly. “How about I teach you to dance properly, Mr Paris? B’elanna you don’t mind do you?”

“By all means,” the Klingon said, shaking her head.

Kathryn led Tom onto the dance floor and soon people were copying them. Kathryn danced with Tom then B’elanna but when Seven walked in she excused herself.

She couldn’t believe her eyes. Seven of Nine in cowboy boots…jeans that hugged her hips…a red plaid shirt over a white tank top…and her hair in one long braid down her back. Kathryn didn’t even care she was staring – so were a dozen other people. Seven looked _hot_!

“Seven you look amazing,” she said, finally approaching when she noticed how uncomfortable the former drone looked. Her face lifted slightly.

“Thank you, Captain. Lts Paris and Torres encouraged me to dress for the occasion.”

“It certainly looks…I mean you look, uh…wow,” she said finally. She knew her face was red. She was never at a loss for words like this.

Seven quirked her ocular implant curiously at her.

“Who braided your hair?” she asked weakly.

“Naomi Wildman assisted me. She is attending tomorrow with her mother,” Seven stated, running her fingers along the braid. “I believe I like this hairstyle. It is efficient.”

“And cute,” Kathryn added then mentally slapped herself at the odd look Seven gave her.

“Thank you, Captain. You did not dress up.”

“I didn’t know it was a barn dance until I got here. Tom kept it a surprise.”

“The crew seem to be enjoying themselves,” she said, observing the crowd. “And Neelix has provided nutritional supplements. Would you like a liquid refreshment?”

“Sure, Seven,” she said with a chuckle.

She followed the blonde to the snack table, trying not to stare.

 _You’re the Captain, not a teenager, don’t stare at her ass! Pull yourself together!_ She scolded but she couldn’t help sneaking peaks. _Those jeans are practically painted on! God, she looks amazing. Perfect. Perfection. That ass in those jeans, that’s what perfection is._

When Seven handed her a glass of punch she drank it thirstily, hoping it would quell the fire she felt burning its way through her body.

“Most of the crew does not seem very coordinated dancing to this music,” Seven remarked.

“Would you like me to show you how to dance?” Kathryn offered before she could stop herself. Seven’s blue eyes lit up.

“That would be – yes, please,” she said, correcting her Borg speech mid-sentence.

Kathryn couldn’t help but smile as she led Seven onto the dance floor. It was quickly apparent, however, that Seven was not a good partner.

“You’re too stiff. Let me lead,” she said softly. “Let your body follow mine…you can do that for me, can’t you?”

Seven relaxed a little and Kathryn led them in a simple two-step. A new song started and she smiled.

“ _I don’t wanna be the kind to hesitate, be too shy, wait too late. I don’t care what they say other lovers do, I just wanna dance with you_ ,” she said along softly. Seven smiled her small smile at her and Kathryn felt thrilled.

“Do you trust me?” she whispered and Seven nodded. Kathryn took her hands and moved expertly. Seven’s body followed the path she wanted it to take easily and she spun the blonde full circle.

“Oh!” Seven said and giggled – _Seven just giggled?!-_ as Kathryn pulled her back to her.

“The last time I attempted a move like that, my partner was damaged and had to go to Sick Bay,” Seven said, her small smile in place.

“It is important to have a dance partner you can trust,” Kathryn said breathlessly.

“I do trust you, Captain. More than anyone else in the universe,” Seven said softly.

_**I wanna dance with you, twirl you all around the floor. That’s what they intended dancing for. I just wanna dance with you…** _

She twirled Seven again and this time she dipped her as low as their height difference would allow. And she saw Seven smile, really smile, for the first time ever.

Then it was as if something shifted between them. Neither of them said anything but as she pulled Seven back to her, there was something different in those baby blue eyes.

The song ended and Seven let go of one of her hands. The other she kept hold of and tugged Kathryn towards the entrance.

“Where are we going, Seven?” she started to ask, but Seven just pulled her along.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Heart pounding, Kathryn followed Seven around back of the barn. Then Seven pulled her close and kissed her.

“I did not think you’d want me to do _that_ in front of your crew, Captain.”

“Kathryn – call me Kathryn,” she said dazedly, realizing her hands were gripping Seven’s hips.

“Kathryn”  
  
Seven's mouth was on hers again and Kathryn did what she had wanted to do since she first saw Seven in those ridiculously well fitted Jeans. She slid her hands from Sevens hips, tripped over the belt loops, and slid in to the back pockets. _She feels as good as she looks._ Kathryn felt her stomach flutter as Seven pressed her shoulders against the weathered wood of the barn, and she changed the angle of her mouth. Seven took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. _When did she learn to kiss like that-_ Kathryn practically felt her toes curl. _  
_

Seven braced a forearm on the wall above Kathryn's head and put her foot on an adjacent wood pile, effectively caging Kathryn in. The idea of trapping her captain had more allure in practice than it had had in her projections. Apparently it pleased Kathryn as well because she emitted a low breathy sound. Seven continued to kiss her, taking in the sensation of Kathryn's lips and tongue against her own. The way her small hands gripped firmly at her backside. The whole encounter was progressing better than Seven thought she had any right to hope for, and she felt completely... _enamored. Besotted. Impassioned_. She could think of at least 60 similes, in 231 languages, but none of them precisely captured the sensation of having Kathryn pressed up against her. Neither could they describe how though, she was the one pinning Kathryn to the wall, it was Kathryn who had complete control of her.  


_**Love is a burning thing and it makes a fiery ring....** _

  
Kathryn could just make out a low gravely male voice spilling out into the night, but she couldn't quite identify it. Frankly, she wasn't going to concentrate on that at all, not with six feet plus of gorgeous Borg gift-wrapped in denim and flannel was pinning her to the side of a barn. _And kissing me like our lives depend on it._ She slid one of her hands free, and followed the outer seam of her jeans to stroke along Seven's raised leg until she got to her knee, where Kathryn lingered momentarily before following the seam back... along the inside of her thigh...

 

**_The taste of love is sweet when hearts like ours meet._ **

 

She turned back, just shy of her mark, made the trek back to her knee, and earned a groan. Seven caught her bottom lip between her teeth and brought her hand up to cup her jaw. She broke the kiss and rested her forehead against hers.  
  
“Kathryn...”

 

**_I fell for you like a child, Oh, but the fire went wild._ **

 

Kathryn leaned into the caress, and opened her eyes to stare up into Seven's face.  
  
“Sev-”  
  
Jarring feedback, cut her off, as the PA system in the barn reacted to what was obviously a mic too close to its speakers. “Sorry about that” Tom said, chipper and boyish as always, “Anyway, Harry- get up here, I need someone to demonstrate how to do these old line dances!”  
  
Faintly, Harry called back “ I don't know how to-”

  
“That's perfect! Get on up here! Give it up everybody for test subject zero one!”

 

Seven felt Kathryn stiffen in her arms and she realized that perhaps this wasn't far enough away from the crowds. She came down off the wood pile, and opened her stance to allow Kathryn a path of immediate retreat if she wanted to bolt.

 _Kathryn is not a coward, but her pulse beats like a frightened animal's under my fingers._ She dropped her hand from Kathryn's face and cautiously reached out for one of her captain's hands.  
  
Janeway stared down at their intertwined fingers. She didn't make an indication she wanted Seven any less than she had thirty seconds ago. What she didn't want was for someone to stumble around the side of the barn, drunk, looking to relieve themselves and....  
  
“Seven, someone could have-”  
  
Seven smiled, and tugged her hand, already striding off. Kathryn could hear her muttering something about 'privacy being needed for human mating rituals' but her pace was fast, and her voice soft and Kathryn was distracted again. She felt warm and excited, aware of Seven's fingers laced through hers. She could hear that same voice singing again, low and carrying. She thought about what Seven had said before when they were dancing, about trust. How far the pair of us have come, from Seven trying to murder me, to sneaking off to find a place to make love instead.

 

_**I keep a close watch on this heart of mine, I keep my eyes wide open all the time** _

  
Seven stopped abruptly, and Kathryn almost knocked into her. She looked up at Seven, and then out at their destination. It was a tall, thick corn maze, the entrance path covered in cut grass and hay to protect it from foot traffic and weather.  
  
Seven was looking down at her expectantly, her eyes glittering. Kathryn couldn't remember ever seeing her quite so playful. “I enjoy recreational activities with you.” She leaned in and kissed Kathryn on the nose.  
  
Kathryn laughed. “Necking, or solving a corn maze?”  
  
“Holographic organic matter holds little charm for me... You however...”

 _ **I keep the ends out for the tie that binds Because you're mine, I walk the line**_  
  
“I wasn't sure before, but I am now. Seven of Nine, you're flirting with me.”  
  
“Affirmative.”  
  
“Oh. Seven...” Kathryn blushed, her tone low as she tried not to overthink how big of a step they would be taking in their relationship if the went into the maze. How badly she wanted to take that step.  
  
  
Seven's fingers twitched, and she looked away. “We do not have to engage in either activities.”  
  
“Nonono” Kathryn said, a bit to quickly, turning to stand in front of Seven. She raised their joined hands and kissed Seven's knuckles. She glanced over to the field, and then back to Seven, trying to find that same playfulness that Seven had when they'd arrived. “Close your eyes and count to ten.”  
  
Seven quirked her brow “Elaborate”.  
  
Kathryn rocked up onto her tip toes and bumped her nose against Seven's “Count. We'll race to the center of the maze. Only, I'll get a head start- Count to ten.”  
  
Seven scoffed, but her voice held genuine fondness. “Cheating.”  


“Well, Seven, aren't you supposed to be superior?”  
  
Seven would not have described the sound she made as a snort, or the action she made after to have been a shrug. She did close her eyes though. “Very well.”  
  
Seven could hear Kathryn move, her a her gait speed into a run, and heard her footsteps disappear, muffled by the grasses before she even started to count. She smiled. _To think I love such a creature. To think that I can love._

“One.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now - hopefully Queer will finish it up for me tomorrow. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**_I find it very, very easy to be true I find myself alone when each day is through_ **

 

Kathryn felt stupid and young and her heart hurt for home. Everything about the program was perfect, from the smell of the fields, to the the fireflies, the peepers in the pond near by and the stars above her. The heady scent of the fresh cut grass was straight from her memories, and she was glad to be sharing this with Seven, even if the environment wasn't real, because.... it might be as close as she would ever get. _No, Katie, don't think like tha_ t. She was impressed by the intricacy of the maze, how big it was. She hadn't come to a dead end yet, and she wondered if maybe it was a trick of the programming- Thom was an excellent holodeck programmer. She shook her head, put on a burst of speed, and followed another switchback path towards the center. She still felt foolish, but less maudlin and she hoped she would feel Seven's mouth on hers again, soon.

 

 ** _Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you, because you're mine, I walk the line_ **  
  
Seven finished her count down, walked slowly to the entrance and stopped, looking in each direction. She could hear Kathryn moving quickly somewhere ahead of her, and what sounded suspiciously like a giggle. Seven could not remember Kathryn making that unguarded of a sound before. She felt her lips curve up. _I will endeavour to give her more opportunities to do so_. She recalled a phrase from playing with Naomi Wildman, and thought it would be appropriate.   
  
“Ready or not, here I come!”  
  
She was not sure which one of them was supposed to be ready. Seven started off slow, picking up signs of Kathryn's passage and following them. She had, while she was counting, decided that reaching the center of the maze was less important than reaching Kathryn. She felt a strong, hot desire to catch her, to pin her down and finally have her beneath her. _To hear her panting for me, my name over, and again._ The maze however, was not making her goal easily attainable. Each time she thought she saw a flash of command red, heard Kathryn's voice, or a rustle of leaves, there was nothing there. Kathryn called out, somewhere to her right, but there was no available path.  
  
“I'm over here, Come on!”  
  
Seven ran that way, and then pivoted on her heel when from the other direction she heard, “No- no this way.”  
  
Kathryn's voice floated to her from further away than before but she could clearly make out the throaty tones of her laugh. She found herself laughing too. She was pleased that she had made advances towards her captain, and that they had been received- _I was received with such yielding flesh._ The memory made her lick her lips.She stopped thinking about her actions, didn't catolouge or record her turns, her path through the corn. She just ran for the sake of running _, of running and chasing_.

 

**_I Keep you on my mind both day and night and happiness I've known proves that it's right..._ **

 

“Come on Seven, try harder!”  
Kathryn's voice was just ahead of her, so close. She lengthened her stride reached the turn, and met a wall of vegetation. She glanced about and she thought she saw a glint of auburn hair  
  
“If you don't catch me, how can you have a kiss?” The singsong teasing tone made up Seven's mind for her.  
  
 _This maze is inefficient._ She darted out in the direction of the sound, using her enhancements to lock into its source. She ran right off the path, though one hallway of green, then another, and right into Kathryn. She scooped her up in an economic motion, but lost her footing in a trough and they spilled through a corridor of stocks into a clearing.  
  
Seven looked down into Kathryn's surprised and delighted face and felt she had made the right choice.

 

“I have caught you.”  
  
“You cheated!”   
Kathryn could hear the lack of real protest in her voice. She flicked her eyes to the side and surmised they were at the center of the maze. There was a plank bench nearby, and a more thorough cover of grass and hay. She was acutely aware of even's body pressed _oh so nicely_ along hers, of the way she was still breathing hard.  
  
“I am superior” Seven swallowed hard, fighting back a wave a desire as she looked into Kathryn flushed face and tried not to bring to mind several of the fantasies she had that started out in this manner. “You did not specify that I must stay on the path. I caught you.”  
  
  
Kathryn smiled rather more coyly than she had intend and twitched her hips up in a roll against Seven's. She thought, by the wave of desire she saw pass over Seven's features that maybe she was teasing too much... But she felt giddy, breathless, fun. _Alive_. She could still make out the chirping of the  crickets and music from the barn, but her focus was slowly narrowing to include only Seven.

 

**_You've got a way to keep me on your side_ **

_  
_Seven brushed a strand of hair, tucked it behind Kathryn's ear and just before she pressed her mouth against Kathryn's whispered, “I will collect my winnings now.”

 

The kiss was delicious and sweet. It started slow and soft, and Kathryn found herself arching up against her partner. She liked the feel of the flannel against her fingertips, but what she really wanted was skin. She skimmed her hand along Seven's back, to where her shirt was tucked into the waistband of her jeans. She tugged it up, then she was underneath it, the undershirt too, gliding her fingers up the well defined muscles of Seven's back. Her hand glossed over a large implant, wrapping corset-like over Seven's ribs, and she explored its surface with the pads of her fingers. It was warm and her skin buzzed not unpleasantly where it made contact with the smooth surface. She played along a length of what felt like scar tissue, and it must have felt good- because Seven groaned into her mouth, and her thigh pressed sharply up against Kathryn's crotch. The sudden pleasure, the increased friction made Kathryn break the kiss and moan. She pressed her face against Seven's neck, blushing slightly at how loud she had been.  
  


“That sound is very appealing. Again, Kathryn.”

 

“What? Seven, I can be quite vocal, maybe we should-”  
  
Seven took her mouth in an effectively silencing kiss and repeated the motion she had made with her knee only moments before. Kathryn's voice resonated pleasantly in her chest, and she was pleased with the results of her attentions. Seven could feel Kathryn's nails skim over her shoulders and scratch along the ribbons of metal around her ribs. _She is taking me to pieces._ She could processes the temperature of Kathryn's skin, her heart rate, how soft and pliant the body beneath her was. It wasn't that it was just a body, it was _Kathryn_. Her mentor,  friend, her captain, and now with her tongue caught between her teeth, her lover. She continued to rock her hips into her partner, reveling in the way one of Kathryn's hands freed itself from beneath her shirt to pull at her hair, to grip her braid, and break their kiss.  
  
“Seven, Seven, Seven.”  
  
Kathryn didn't resist the urge any longer, and wrapped Seven's braid around her her fist. It felt like the finest of spun silks between her fingers. She kissed and bit her way up the side of Seven's neck, and drew her earlobe into her mouth. She'd been waiting so long to have Seven touch her, fantasized about getting her long strong body wrapped around her own, that she wasn't quite sure which impulse to act on first. She didn't protest when Seven dropped her head down to her her throat, pressing a hard kiss against her pulse point- and she released her grip on Seven's braid to help her get her damned tunic off. Then Seven's hand slipped under her turtleneck, passed up along her belly, and cupped her breasts. She bit her lip and struggled to find a coherent thought. _Well first things first Katie- clothes. Off.  
  
_ Kathryn realized her hands had somehow gravitated back down to Seven's ass, _how could they not,_ and she gave a firm squeeze that Seven seemed to approve of, if the grunt of satisfaction against her ear was anything to go by. She started trying to pull Seven's shirt off over head, but Seven's own arms came around, as she easily parted the garment in the front. She took Kathryn's hands in her own, and brought them to her chest.   
  
**_You give me cause for love that I can't hide_**

 

Kathryn stared up at Seven and outlined against the night sky, strongly believed her to be the prettiest thing she'd ever seen. Her baby blue eyes were blown wide with desire and her lips were a little swollen from the force of their earlier kisses. _That, and her stupid cow-girl outfit has your panties in a bunch, god she's good enough to eat._ She helped Seven shrug off the rest of her shirt, and then rolled her underneath her, taking care to make sure Seven was on their discard clothing. Kathryn fought back a laugh- _an actual roll in the hay-_ with an officer under her command _. Mmmh, under_ my _command_. She decided that she was done worrying about whether or not this was the right choice, about whether or not she was taking advantage. Seven was a capable adult, capable of saying no- _hell she's instigated every one of our interactions so far, so, damn protocol._ On all fours over her now, Kathryn kissed her hard, palmed her wonderful breasts and then trailed down to her abdomen and flicked open the fastenings of those provocative jeans. Unbidden, she felt a bit of her fear return, and while she was sure Seven wanted her, really wanted her... this might not be the place. She decided to talk about- she was a diplomat after all.  
  


  
“Seven, I want you. I want you anywhere, any time. It doesn't have to be here, or now, or ever even if you don-”  
  
Seven grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and cut off her words with a searing kiss. Seven tangled her fingers in Kathryn's hair, canted her hips up and received that wonderful moan she had appreciated so much earlier. She maneuvered herself into a sitting position, pulling Kathryn into her lap. _There is far to much fabric between us._ She took the hem of both the turtleneck and the tank top in her hands and dragged them up over Kathryn's head and arms, before tossing it aside. She felt hungry and greedy, wanted to feel everything all at once. She went to work on the standard issue bra, and in a moment, Seven was kissing her chest, memorizing a galaxy of freckles as her hands gripped Kathryn's ass.

 

**_For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide_ **

 

“Here. Now.” She felt a mild nervousness creep into her chest, but she clamped down on it. She knew she had moved their relationship forward, had been successful- but the trepidation- the possibility that if she did not do this now, Kathryn might not have the courage- the comfort of her home in this simulation to let Seven past her guard.... _Regardless, I do not want to stop. I do not ever want to stop_. She would have had her there up against the barn, if Kathryn hadn't show such obvious opposition to the idea.

  
 ** _Because you're mine, I walk the line_ **  
  
  
“And again, in your quarters.” Seven worked the fastening of Kathryn's trousers open, and then her hand down Kathryn's lower back along the curve of her hip, hooked fingers into her panties and followed the seam to her crotch. The wetness there was sleek and warm against her fingers and her touch had Kathryn rocking back against her hand-and then with a shuddering moan, Kathryn sank down on her fingers. Seven felt a little heady, dazed with pleasure and dizzy from the idea that she could cause such an intense physical reaction in the woman she loved.   
  
With her free hand, Seven encouraged Kathryn to rise onto her knees, straddling her lap, to allow a broader range of motion- and Seven admitted, so she could have her mouth on Kathryn's breasts. She caught a nipple between her teeth, and continued her slow measured strokes into Kathryn's sex. She sucked in in tandem with her fingers, and the mounting, desperate moans muffled against her shoulder made her own arousal almost uncomfortable. When Kathryn's fingernails dug sharply into her back and she climaxed, Seven slowly removed her fingers, but kept her hand cradled against her. She grazed her teeth up along Kathryn chest, sampled the skin at her throat- then spoke against her ear.

 

 _Because you're mine_   
  
“And each day after.”  
  
  
Kathryn blinked down at her lover, euphoria and a not a bit of adrenaline thundering in her skull. She could feel the broad, stupid grin on her face, but she didn't care. She was happy, effusively happy and so, so ready to please. She heard herself slur some babbling agreement to Seven's phrase, and Seven's own joyful laughter. She let Seven hold her, enjoying the feeling of her solid, safe arms around her and after pressing a few kisses against Seven's temple, rocked back on her heels. She beamed up at Seven, before trailing her fingers down her taut abdomen and settling in the front pockets of her jeans.

 

Kneeling between her legs, Kathryn looked up at Seven. “You won. Here's your reward.”  
Then, she leaned in to draw down the zipper with her teeth.  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thats a wrap! Hope you liked it  
> ~Q


End file.
